Craft beer entrepreneurs who have been hesitant to incorporate in Texas may begin to reconsider, following the passage of a bill in the state House of Representatives Thursday.
House Bill 602 will allow craft breweries in the Lone Star State to sell beer to tourists and visitors - a measure that is legal and considered standard practice among most breweries nationwide.
Proponents of the bill argue it will help stimulate the fledgling but delicate Texas craft beer market. The state currently hosts a number of Prohibition-era alcohol laws that serve to inhibit wineries, liquor stores and brewpubs.
Because of the sales and marketing potential of beer tours, many craft breweries rely on them to generate brand exposure and increase revenue, causing many to view Thursday's swift passage of Bill 602 as a major step in the right direction.
"Tours of our brewery are the single most important marketing item," Brock Wagner, founder of Saint Arnold Brewing Co. in Houston, told a House committee that took up the bill, according to the Texas Tribune.
However, Wagner also expressed "cautious optimism" to the Houston Chronicle, as his home state, a bastion of free enterprise and limited regulations, is not exactly so when it comes to the distribution of alcohol.
Tags : business licenses & permits, ca, incorporation news, small business management
Posted: Apr 22nd, 2011